There’s a wrench in the planning proceedings for a new Miami MLS stadium, as David Beckham’s investment group and Miami-Dade County are at odds over conditions placed by the county on the no-bid agreement.
The county and the Beckham investment group came to a preliminary agreement for a three-acre site, part of a larger nine-acre stadium site, in the Overtown area for a new Miami MLS stadium. The process is proceeding on a no-bid process, with Beckham’s group paying $12 million for a parcel appraised at $9 million.
The state rules allowing no-bid land agreements do include some conditions, including mandatory hiring targets and other public benefits. But Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has proposed some additional conditions on the transaction, including free transit passes for workers, a goal of 65 percent of the jobs going to local residents, job training, and a promise not to reject any subcontractors or applicants “based solely on a prior incarceration,” according to the Miami Herald. That’s an long list of conditions that go far beyond what is required by the state for a no-bid exchange — and right now the stadium discussions are on hold as the Beckham group reviews the real costs of the proposition. From the Herald:
The Beckham group has already touted its commitment to hiring local workers and using local vendors, but a source on the soccer side said some of the details require more analysis. The source downplayed the level of disagreement, saying it was more an issue of receiving clearance from a partnership that includes Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure, entertainment mogul Simon Fullers and others for various aspects of the contract.
Michael Hernández, a spokesman for Gimenez, declined to offer details about the talks except to say the county is hoping to conclude them soon.
“Miami-Dade County is eager to move forward,” he said. “We look forward to finalizing the transaction.”
Beckham representatives declined to be interviewed on the record, but issued a statement that read in part: “We expect to reach an agreement with the County soon, at which point our team will enter the public [land-use and zoning] process en route to developing our privately financed MLS stadium in Overtown.”
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